Tales of the Once and Future King is a hybrid between a novel and an anthology. This anthnovology consists of the main frame story, about the new King Arthur in a post-apocalyptic future, interspersed with other authorian stories. One is written by yours truly, Matthew P. Schmidt.

What’s my story called? Tristan and Isolde: A Chivalric Tragedy with Giant Steampunk Battle Robots (also vampires). The name should be self-explanatory.

Now, you might notice that I said the above story would be free, and it’s not. What gives? Simply put: Amazon’s somewhat bizarre policy of forbidding people from putting up books for free directly. As it is, I stand by its quality enough to sell it.

But if you’re still looking for a free, Sci Phi Journal has my A Fractal of Eight Tragedies in Fifteen Parts available for anyone to see. Check it out!

Meanwhile, C&D itself is still on the long road to publication. More news soon.

]]>https://smithgift.wordpress.com/2017/08/28/two-new-storiesaugust-progress-update/feed/0smithgiftout-of-her-depth-promoJuly-August Progress Update.https://smithgift.wordpress.com/2017/08/01/july-august-progress-update/
https://smithgift.wordpress.com/2017/08/01/july-august-progress-update/#respondTue, 01 Aug 2017 15:47:35 +0000http://smithgift.wordpress.com/?p=1235]]>The City and the Dungeon is now under review by the copy editor. We’re not sure how long this will take, but I suspect I’ll have more news by the end of August. I hope.

I will, God willing have a short story set in the world of C&D out by the end of the month. This short story will BE FREE!!!11!! (To serve as a kind of teaser, if you will.)

The World of Wishes, unfortunately, threw a literary shoe and had to be put down. :*( Meanwhile, I have started work on a novel tentatively called Argent while still working on tSSoL. MYSTERIES ABOUND.

Meanwhile, the second edition of Prince Anak the Immortal is out. Sorta. It seems that releasing a second edition has baffled Amazon, to the point where it offers my book three times. I’ll be waiting a few weeks to see if it resolves itself, then pestering one or more e-commerce giants to see if I can fix things.

]]>https://smithgift.wordpress.com/2017/08/01/july-august-progress-update/feed/0smithgiftPrince Anak the Immortal, Second Edition, is Incoming, and Other Storieshttps://smithgift.wordpress.com/2017/06/30/prince-anak-the-immortal-second-edition-is-incoming-and-other-stories/
https://smithgift.wordpress.com/2017/06/30/prince-anak-the-immortal-second-edition-is-incoming-and-other-stories/#respondFri, 30 Jun 2017 18:30:01 +0000http://smithgift.wordpress.com/?p=1223]]>Prince Anak the Immortal was somewhat rushed to press, and a few issues snuck in, as well as one line at which I always wince. (It’s the “kilowatt hours per hour” one, for reference.) If anyone has spotted any typos, speak now, or indefinitely hold your peace.

“Hey, wait! What about C&D?” The final draft is almost finished, but before I launch it into prime time, I want to have other ducks in order, first. Like this one.

]]>https://smithgift.wordpress.com/2017/06/30/prince-anak-the-immortal-second-edition-is-incoming-and-other-stories/feed/0smithgiftHey! What’s going on? You didn’t post at all during May!https://smithgift.wordpress.com/2017/06/06/hey-whats-going-on-you-didnt-post-at-all-during-may/
https://smithgift.wordpress.com/2017/06/06/hey-whats-going-on-you-didnt-post-at-all-during-may/#respondTue, 06 Jun 2017 13:43:48 +0000http://smithgift.wordpress.com/?p=1209]]>Yes, yes. The third and final draft is just about ready for proofreading, but then a MASSIVE POSITIVE NON-WRITING LIFE TWIST occurred. The downside of which is that C&D will be, yes, delayed again.

As soon as things stabilize it’s time to get back on track. I’m also working on another book, tentatively called The World of Wishes. I’m also returning to the Refugeverse with another book, The Shackled Servant of Lauriel.

Currently, my writer’s group is reviewing the manuscript, and after that, it’s on to proofreading. After that (May, God willing), we’ll see about publication.

]]>https://smithgift.wordpress.com/2017/04/27/the-second-draft-is-done/feed/0smithgiftYet Another Progress Updatehttps://smithgift.wordpress.com/2017/03/31/yet-another-progress-update/
https://smithgift.wordpress.com/2017/03/31/yet-another-progress-update/#respondFri, 31 Mar 2017 18:41:34 +0000http://smithgift.wordpress.com/?p=1198]]>This month, I got to about 3/4ths of the way through the second draft of _C&D_. The bad news: due to two different Real Life™ happenings, it’s not finished. Next month!]]>https://smithgift.wordpress.com/2017/03/31/yet-another-progress-update/feed/0smithgiftAnother Progress Update.https://smithgift.wordpress.com/2017/03/03/another-progress-update/
https://smithgift.wordpress.com/2017/03/03/another-progress-update/#respondFri, 03 Mar 2017 20:06:16 +0000http://smithgift.wordpress.com/?p=1192]]>I found a more traditional venue that might accept C&D. I hope to submit before the end of March, or at least before the end of April. Either case, there’s unfortunately more of a delay, but it shouldn’t be long. It’s happening!]]>https://smithgift.wordpress.com/2017/03/03/another-progress-update/feed/0smithgiftProgress Update.https://smithgift.wordpress.com/2017/02/15/progress-update/
https://smithgift.wordpress.com/2017/02/15/progress-update/#respondWed, 15 Feb 2017 13:28:59 +0000http://smithgift.wordpress.com/?p=1182]]>Aside from steeming away at steemit, I’ve been still working on revising C&D. As well as working through emotional crises. That tends to slow things down.

Black humor aside, it looks to be released in March now, or, at worst, April. There’s more to revise than I initially thought, in addition to the various formatting, proofs, etc. along the way. Don’t worry, though, I’m far from unhopeful I’ll get it out.

]]>https://smithgift.wordpress.com/2017/02/15/progress-update/feed/0smithgiftWhat I’ve been doing elsewhere.https://smithgift.wordpress.com/2017/02/14/what-ive-been-doing-elsewhere/
https://smithgift.wordpress.com/2017/02/14/what-ive-been-doing-elsewhere/#respondTue, 14 Feb 2017 14:55:54 +0000http://smithgift.wordpress.com/?p=1168]]>I hadn’t linked to this before, because I was unsure how it was going to work out. I’ve been writing a significant number of articles for Steemit, which you can all read by clicking on this helpful hyperlink.

Steemit is one of those new-fangled crypto-platform-world-chains. It’s kinda like blogging, except you get paid. Maybe. I’ve had mixed success, but sometimes that success is big. And in any case, there’s no point trying to only write if you get paid. It doesn’t work that way.

Self-apologetics aside, I’m rambling onto an article I just wrote. If you’ve ever wondered why my posts are sometimes a little bizarre, or I go for long silences, this is why.